The present invention relates generally to security systems. More particularly, disclosed and protected by the present patent is a security system, shown particularly employed relative to a vehicle, that employs a removable disabling member for providing a remote indication of a breach of security in a protected article.
The prior art certainly discloses a wide variety of security systems for deterring the theft a vehicle itself, for preventing the theft of items within a vehicle, for preventing vandalism, and even for preventing harm to vehicular occupants. Typical security systems are founded on a processor or controller that is functionally connected to one or more vehicle sensors. Such sensors may detect damage to or the opening or jarring of a vehicle""s body, doors, trunk, hood, windows, or other elements. Other sensors may detect movement of or within the vehicle. Sensors may comprise ultrasonic or microwave motion detectors, vibration sensors, sound discriminators, differential pressure sensors, or switches. Furthermore, radar sensors may be employed to monitor the area proximate to the vehicle.
Typically, the processor or controller produces an alarm indication in response to a triggering of one of the vehicle sensors. The alarm indication can comprise one or more of a variety of signals including flashing lights and a sounding of the vehicle horn. The controller additionally may cut the vehicle""s fuel supply or disable the vehicle""s ignition.
Such alarm indications undoubtedly are useful for giving notice of a breach in a vehicle""s security in the area immediately surrounding a protected vehicle. However, one considering the matter carefully will realize that an alarm indication immediately proximate to a vehicle notifies only those who are sufficiently close to the vehicle to see or hear the alarm indication. If nobody who cares for the vehicle""s security is in that area immediately proximate to the vehicle, then the alarm indication is of substantially no use. Without the vehicle""s owner to hear or see the alarm""s indication and no bystander sufficiently interested to notify authorities, the alarm indication is of little effect other than to act as a petty nuisance to an otherwise unobstructed intruder.
Advantageously, a number of inventors have recognized this deficiency in traditional alarms and have devised of alarm systems for providing a remote indication of a breach in a vehicle""s security. One such system does so by supplementing an audible alarm with a radio transmission to a pager in response to an attempt to enter or otherwise violate the protected vehicle. Another system similarly employs a pager to alert a user of a security breach remotely by transmitting directly from a transmitter within the vehicle a signal that is compatible with common carrier paging signals. The signal is transmitted directly to the common carrier pager. This system advantageously transmits the signal directly to a common carrier pager whereby it operates without requiring the use of the common carrier network whereby usage charges and potential delays are said to be avoided.
Other security schemes are directed more particularly to the protection of a vehicle""s stereo system. For example, it has become commonplace for stereos to be provided with a removable faceplate that incorporates the controls for the stereo. When a user leaves the vehicle, the faceplate may be removed to disable the stereo and thereby make it unattractive, and in fact unusable, to thieves. When exploited, removing a stereo""s faceplate undeniably comprises an effective method for preventing stereo theft. However, as many owners of such stereos will attest, removing and carrying a faceplate can become a nuisance. As a result, this otherwise effective stereo security means often is not employed.
A further disadvantage would certainly face one seeking to employ both a removable stereo faceplate and an auto security system with a remote indicator since such persons would be forced to carry both the stereo faceplate and the remote indicator to ensure that their auto would remain completely secure. At the very least, carrying both devices would be inconvenient, and at worst such an inconvenience might induce a user to opt not to carry one or both of the devices thereby rendering one or both of the security systems effectively useless.
In light of the foregoing, one will appreciate that there remains a need in the art for a security system that overcomes the previously described deficiencies suffered by prior art systems. It will be still more clear that a security device that does so while providing a number of heretofore unrealized advantages would represent a marked advance in the art.
Advantageously, the present invention sets forth with the broadly stated object of providing a solution to each of the deficiencies left by the prior art while providing a number of heretofore unrealized advantages thereover.
Stated more particularly, a principal object of the invention is to provide a security system capable of providing a user with a remote indication of a breach in a protected article""s security.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a security system that simultaneously acts to disable an electronic device thereby providing further security for the electronic device.
Of course, additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious both to one who reads this specification and reviews the accompanying drawings and to one who has an opportunity to make use of an embodiment of the invention.
In accomplishing the aforementioned objects, a most basic embodiment of the invention comprises a security system for providing a remote indication of a breach in security that includes an electronic device with an electronic device body, a disabling member removably and replaceably couplable to the electronic device body, a means for at least partially disabling the electronic device when the disabling member is removed from the electronic device body, a means for sensing a breach in security, a means for sending an alarm signal to the disabling member in response to a sensing of a breach of security by the means for sensing a breach in security, a means operably associated with the disabling member for receiving an alarm signal sent by the means for sending an alarm signal, and a means operably associated with the disabling member for announcing a receipt of an alarm signal by the means for receiving an alarm signal. With this, the disabling member functions not only to disable the electronic device when it is removed from the electronic device body but it also functions to provide a remote indication of a security breach.
It will be appreciated that particular methods and devices for carrying forth each of the means mentioned above and in the remainder of the present patent specification and claims will be readily obvious to one skilled in the art after reading this disclosure. Since a plurality of those means could assume a wide variety of embodiments, particularly setting forth each of those embodiments is neither practicable nor necessary. Nonetheless, this patent may in a plurality of locations incorporate by reference the disclosures of previous inventors to ensure unmistakably that one skilled in the art could understand and, in appropriate circumstances, practice the present invention.
In any event, one will appreciate that the means for announcing a receipt of an alarm signal could take the form of an acoustic annunciator such as a speaker, a visual display such as an LCD screen or LEDs, and/or a tactile annunciator such as a vibratory mechanism. Where a visual display is employed, it may act as a means for displaying alphanumeric indicia to indicate the particular type of security breach a protected article is experiencing.
In certain embodiments, the electronic device could be a vehicle sound-reproduction device, such as a stereo, CD player, or the like, with a body and a face. In such a case, the disabling member could form at least a portion of the face of the sound-reproduction device. A plurality of controls could be disposed on the disabling member for controlling functions of the vehicle sound-reproduction device whereby the plurality of controls comprise at least part of the disabling means. Certainly, the preferred disabling member will incorporate a power source, which can be rechargeable upon coupling to the body of the sound-reproduction device.
One particular disabling member can be formed with a first and second halves coupled by a hinge mechanism. With this, the disabling member can be folded to a compact configuration when detached from the sound-reproduction device.
In ways that will become readily obvious to one skilled in the art, the means for sending an alarm signal to the disabling member could do so by radio transmission and/or by mobile communications. Where both transmission methods are employed, the security system could employ radio transmission where practicable and mobile communications when required. Where radio communications is employed, the invention may be rendered still more effective by the inclusion of a means for providing an indication of when a user is venturing outside of a radio transmission communications area.
A preferred embodiment of the disabling member could further include a means for receiving a standard mobile communications paging signal. With this, the disabling member would carry out the tripartite function of disabling the electronic device, providing a remote indication of a security breach, and acting as a standard paging device. Furthermore, the disabling member could also operate as a mobile telephone with a plurality of controls that could be used both for operating the mobile telephone and the electronic device.
Certain embodiments of the invention could further include a means operably associated with the disabling member for affecting operation of a vehicle with which the security system is associated. This affecting could take the form of automatically preventing the vehicle from operating when the disabling member is removed from the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the disabling member could incorporate a means for selectively inducing the vehicle to operate or for preventing the vehicle from operating. Still further, it could induce the vehicle to exhibit an attention attracting function for giving notice to bystanders of a security breach. This could comprise an activation of a dedicated light source that is affixed to the vehicle or an activation of a smoke signal generator that is coupled to the vehicle.
In particular embodiments, the security system could provide an automatic emergency dialer, such as a single emergency dialing button, that comprises a means for automatically employing mobile communications to contact public emergency services in response to an activation of the emergency dialer.
It is also possible to have the means for sensing a breach in security to comprise a motion sensor that is operably associated with the sound-reproduction device body. Ideally, the motion sensor could be disposed on the sound-production device body in such a manner that it is covered by the disabling member when it is coupled to the sound-reproduction device body.
Still further, one could provide a charging stand for powering and recharging the disabling member when the disabling member is detached from the electronic device body. The charging stand could incorporate an amplifying acoustic annunciator for amplifying an acoustic annunciation provided by an acoustic annunciator of the disabling member.
The foregoing discussion broadly outlines the more important features of the invention to enable a better understanding of the detailed description that follows and to instill a better appreciation of the inventor""s contribution to the art. Before an embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it must be made clear that the following details of construction, descriptions of geometry, and illustrations of inventive concepts are mere examples of the many possible manifestations of the invention.